Shrubs that grow in shade are a diverse lot. These bushes can provide color and interest to a drab nook in your yard. Ranging from short bushes to tall hedges, these include both evergreen and deciduous plants. Some produce blossoms, while others are planted mostly for their foliage. Read about 30 shrubs that thrive in shady and partially shady areas of your garden.

Tip

Many of the shrubs on this list offer year-round visual appeal, producing bright blooms, interesting fall foliage, and year-round texture.

Mountain laurel is a native plant in eastern North America. Its natural habitat is in woodland areas, where it is shaded by trees. This shrub sports glossy evergreen leaves and produces showy clusters of flowers in late spring. Cultivars have been developed just for use in the landscape, including the dwarf Minuet laurel, which has more vibrant flowers than those on wild mountain laurels. Where soil in not sufficiently acidic, fertilizing with an acid-enhanced fertilizer, like that used for azaleas and rhododendrons, will help mountain laurel thrive.

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9

Color Varieties: Rose, pink, white; blooms may have purple markings

Sun Exposure: Prefers part shade, but can tolerate full sun

Soil Needs: Thrives in cool, rich, acidic soil that is moist but well-drained; does not do well in clay

Among deciduous shrubs, Japanese rose is one of the most shade-tolerant shrubs available and will do better than survive in shade. This bush flowers in spring and may bloom multiple times in partial shade. The bark is kelly green to greenish-yellow throughout the winter. Seriously overgrown shrubs can be revived by cutting them all the way back to the ground in the fall.

As their name suggests, climbing hydrangeas are vines, but they can be trimmed and maintained as if they were shrubs. They tolerate shaded areas, but they tend to yield better flowering displays when exposed to a reasonable amount of sunlight. Peeling bark on their stems provides winter interest.

As with climbing hydrangeas, the blooming of Carol Mackie daphne shrubs may be enhanced if the plants receive sufficient sunlight. But this fact is hardly problematic, as these plants are worth growing for their variegated leaves alone. Their flowers are also noteworthy especially because they are wonderfully aromatic. Daphnes do not like acidic soil; adding lime can help neutralize soil that is too acidic.

Emerald and Gold euonymus is a bush with bi-colored leaves; in this case, the name tells you exactly what those two colors are. The gold color gets brighter with sun exposure, but this plant is plenty attractive in shade. There are many kinds of euonymus. One is quite notorious as an invasive plant and is called, in common parlance, "burning bush." While this is a shrub that grows in shade, lack of sufficient sunlight may rob it of its primary selling point: its fall color. Euonymus can be a very fast-growing plant; you can control it with hard pruning in the spring.

One of two popular shade-tolerant Japanese hollies, the Hetz holly has smaller leaves than the American and English hollies, giving it the nickname "box-leaved." The berries of this plant are black, unlike the familiar red berries on other hollies. Like boxwood shrubs Hetz Japanese holly can be closely sheared to form shaped hedges.

Sky Pencil holly is a variety of Japanese holly with a distinctive tall, columnar shape. You can't miss this "architectural plant," and once you have identified it, you will never forget it. Sky pencil, with its smooth-edged leaves, works well in corners and tight spaces. Its black berries attract a wide range of birds. Unlike some hollies, this one does not require much pruning, but if you do choose to trim it, do so in winter, when the shrub is dormant.

A type of needled evergreen (as opposed to a broadleaf), hemlocks can be trimmed so as to promote the development of dense foliage, making them great for privacy screens. The shrub cultivars of this plant make terrific hedges. In the northern end of the hardiness range, hemlocks appreciate a thick layer of much over their roots in winter.

Yews are one of the plants used in Christmas traditions. These needled evergreen bushes are valued for their showy, red, berry-like cones and as shrubs that grow in shade. Some people find them boring or overused, but the versatility of these tough plants makes their case for them. Common plants are common for a reason; do not hold their popularity against them. Yews should be trimmed in early summer to keep the shape attractive.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 7

Sun Exposure: Sun, partial shade, or full shade

Soil Needs: Well-draining soil

Warning

Yews are notorious poisonous plants. Do not plant Daphne shrubs if you have children or pets that live or frequent your garden.

This shade-tolerant bush offers the best of both worlds; it is not only a flowering shrub but also an evergreen. Andromeda shrubs may offer something else, too: fragrant flowers. Some people find their smell offensive, while others find it pleasing. Feeding is best done with an acid fertilizer, such as that used for azaleas.

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 7

Color Varieties: White

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade; flowering is reduced in shady conditions

Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil; prefers slightly acidic soil

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African Scurf Pea (Psoralea pinnata)

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African scurf peais a medium-size shrub (you can also train it into a small tree) that produces lilac-blue flowers that may remind you of sweet pea. It is nicknamed "Kool-Aid bush" because the fragrance can be reminiscent of grape Kool-Aid. The foliage, which looks something like rosemary's, has a fine texture. The plant can become straggly unless pruned to maintain an attractive shape.

Serviceberry trees and shrubs are members of the Rosaceae family, which includes roses and many flowering, fruiting trees and shrubs. Deciduous serviceberries are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Alder-leaved serviceberry has clusters of flowers in spring and produces edible purple-blue fruit. They offer four-season interest with their beautiful blossoms, pome fruits, autumn leaf colors, and bark color in winter. Alder-leaved serviceberry can be prone to rust and powdery mildew fungus; maintain good air circulation to minimize these problems.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9

Color Varieties: White

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Soil Needs: Moist, but well-drained, soil

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Alpine Currant (Ribes alpinum)

Alpine currant is a European native that features bright green foliage. It is often used to create a border or hedge. You will need both male and female plants for this small, dioecious shrub to produce its berries, which are ornamental rather than edible. These shrubs are easy to maintain for shape, as they can be pruned at any time.

Aucuba (Aucuba japonica)

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Aucuba also called spotted laurel, is a rounded evergreen shrub with colorful leaves. If you have both male and female plants it will produce red berries in the fall. Aucuba can grow up to 15 feet tall with glossy elliptical leaves. Tiny spring flowers usually bloom in early spring. These shrubs should be fertilized once a year as new growth appears, using an acid-based fertilizer.

Several different species of Rhododendron produce beautiful spring blooms in various brilliant shades. They include both evergreen and deciduous varieties and can grow in many different climates. Rhododendrons are often used as foundation plantings but can grow quite large unless regularly pruned. Unless your soil is already heavily acidic, fertilize yearly with an acid-enhanced fertilizer in late winter or early spring.

California Sweetshrub is a low maintenance shrub that produces a pleasant fragrance that some say resembles that of red wine. This plant is often used to control erosion along creeks and riverbanks. It's also a good choice for areas frequented by deer, as they avoid it. Pruning is best done by removing old, overgrown stems all the way to ground level, rather than by pruning the tips of branches.

Camellia is also known as tea plant because its leaves and twigs can be used to make a fragrant tea. But if you are growing it for ornamental purposes, you will be more interested in its glossy foliage, fragrant fall flowers, easy maintenance, and long life. A slow-growing plant, it needs little if any pruning and only light fertilizing.

Canadian Bunchberry is a subshrub that you can use as a ground cover for damp, shady areas. Bunchberry is a relative of the dogwood, and produces blossoms that give it nicknames such as "creeping dogwood" and "bunchberry dogwood." Bunchberry is an ideal choice for cold, damp areas where other shrubs may struggle to survive. Mulching with peat moss will help provide the acidity this plant craves.

Checkerberry is also known as American wintergreen. Its leaves can produce a minty scent, and its edible, red berries taste like wintergreen gum. A tiny shrub (often just 3 inches tall), it can be used as a ground cover in acidic soil. Prune in winter or early spring, before new growth begins.

Chinese fringe-flower is an evergreen shrub also known as Chinese witch hazel. Like witch hazel, it has fringe-like flowers that bloom very early in the spring. Chinese fringe-flower has a spreading form, and can grow up to 12 feet in height. Its foliage is usually green, though some varieties feature purple leaves. Mulch the soil heavily to keep it moist.

Coast Leucothoe (Leucothoe axillaris)

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Coast Leucothoe produces urn-shaped bunches of small flowers that are similar to those on Pieris japonica; in fact, the two bushes belong to the same family (Ericaceae). This weeping evergreen shrub is native to the U.S. and is often used in place of boxwood for hedges and boundaries. Before planting, dig in a good amount of peat moss to a depth of 18 inches, which will provide acidity and improve moisture retention.

You'll recognize Common Boxwood as the evergreen shrub often used for hedges and topiaries.​ A classic plant for formal landscape design, it boasts dense light-green leaves and a compact shape. English boxwood shrubs grow to about three feet, but their slow growth makes it easy to keep them pruned and looking pristine.

Witch hazel is a tall shrub that will add fall color to your garden. It's a very early-blooming plant, with fragrant flowers appearing as early as mid-March in most locations. A vase-shaped plant, it grows to tree height if not kept pruned. You can make extracts from the witch hazel shrub to harness the plant's astringent properties.

Dwarf fothergilla is a deciduous flowering shrub known for its fluffy flowers in spring and its fall leaf colors. In spring, this shrub is tipped with 1- to 3-inch-long flowers that look like bottlebrushes and smell a bit like licorice. The leaves are dark green on top, and bluish-gray on the bottom. In the colder hardiness zones, this plant may need to be wrapped with burlap in the winter to prevent windburn.

You can attract hummingbirds with buckeye, also known as the firecracker plant. It will grow in all textures of soil and can be maintained as a shrub or a tree. Red buckeye is especially desirable because of its bright flowers, textured bark, open structure, and appeal to all kinds of wildlife. Red buckeye can be grown with multiple or single trunks.

USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8

Color Varieties:

Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade (stays more shrub-like in shade)

Soil Needs: moist, well-drained, rich soil that is slightly alkaline

Warning

Buckeye's produce a toxic nut that can cause kidney failure in children and pets. It also produces abundant fruit, twigs, and leaves which can produce a great deal of garden litter.

The red tip photinia is an evergreen shrub that produces young red leaves, while its older leaves are green. If you prefer red leaves, you can simply trim new growth on a regular basis, and the plant will continue to produce new leaves all year long. While red tip photinia typically grows to about 10 feet tall, some cultivars can grow to 20 feet. It is an excellent low-maintenance shrub for hedges and privacy screens, and can also be shaped it a small specimen tree.

USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 11

Color Varieties: White (grown for foliage)

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Soil Needs: Well-drained, sandy, or loamy

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Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica)

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Japanese skimmia will produce red or white fruit if you have both a male and a female. It is a broadleaf evergreen with greenish bark, leathery green leaves, bright flowers and berries, and a pleasant fragrance. It grows slowly, topping out at about five feet tall and expanding to about 6 feet wide. While pruning isn't essential, a light pruning during the dormant season can keep the plant neat.

USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 8

Color Varieties: Reddish pink turning to white

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Soil Needs: Moist and rich with a slightly acidic pH

Warning

All parts of the skimmia plant are poisonous if ingested.

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California Holly (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

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California Holly, also called tonyon, Christmas berry, or California holly, is the shrub that some suppose gave Hollywood its name.​ It's indigenous to California, is drought-resistant, and has small flowers that produce red berries. All these qualities make it a favorite plant for California xeriscaping.

The tree peony is a deciduous sub-shrub that blooms in mid to late spring. It produces big, beautiful peony flowers in many different shades. Tree peonies are good borders or hedge plants, particularly because their foliage is nearly as attractive as their blooms. This is a different plant from Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora), a perennial, although the two share certain traits. Tree peonies have modest water needs and react badly if they are overwatered.

Different species of viburnum can give your garden color in multiple seasons, not only because of their multi-colored flowers but also with their leaves and fruit. The arrowwood type is an excellent choice for shade. These flowering shrubs bloom with clusters of flowers in spring, and they produce both red fall foliage and blue berries in fall. They can grow up to 15 feet and are equally wide. These shrubs will spread by suckers unless you remove them.